Allison Ellsworth on Building Poppi Into a Billion-Dollar Soda Brand

“Understanding through growth, how to have that balance, and to be yourself has been a really big learning for me as an entrepreneur.”

Some of the most successful businesses begin with a personal problem that someone becomes determined to solve. What starts as a small experiment can eventually grow into something much bigger when founders stay relentlessly committed to their vision,  even before anyone else fully understands it.

For Allison Ellsworth, Poppi started as a homemade wellness drink created in her kitchen after struggling with health issues and wanting a better alternative to traditional soda. Years later, that idea evolved into one of the fastest-growing beverage brands in the country.

Allison Ellsworth is the founder Poppi, a revolutionary better-for-you soda brand that you've probably seen in every store. Allison created Poppi in her kitchen by combining apple cider vinegar with refreshing flavors. After gaining national attention on Shark Tank and then rebranding, Allison has propelled Poppi to become a top-selling beverage.

Poppi was recently sold to PepsiCo for $1.95 billion, a testament to all of Allison's hard work and passion. Tune in and hear how Allison's health journey inspired Poppi's creation, how she achieves work-life balance, and the importance of authentic social media content.

In this Entreprenista Podcast, Allison shares the behind-the-scenes journey of building Poppi soda, navigating rapid growth, scaling a consumer product brand, and turning a personal solution into a billion-dollar business.

You can listen to the podcast here on Spotify and Apple Podcast.

Here are a few moments from the podcast:

Allison shares how her personal health journey led her to create the first version of Poppi soda in her kitchen.

“I was just desperate to just find a way to naturally heal my body... I discovered apple cider vinegar. I discovered this whole world where I could heal my body through just food and working out and just like doing a little bit better every day. But the problem was is the stuff I was wanting, it didn't taste good, right? There was no really product out there. So I went to my kitchen, I created Poppi, or the first version of Poppi...”

She explains why launching Poppi at a local farmers market became the turning point that pushed them all in on the business.

“We took it to a local farmers' market when I was three months pregnant. We had just bought a house. We had the Whole Foods buyer come by our booth and say, ‘Hey, this product's not in grocery store. You guys have to have this in a grocery store.’ And I looked at my husband, I was like, ‘We're maxing our credit cards out. We are going all in.’ He's like, ‘You're crazy. You're pregnant. We just bought a house.’ And I was like, ‘Yep. Who cares? Let's do this.’”

Allison talks about the biggest realization she had after appearing on Shark Tank and why Poppi needed a complete rebrand.

“We went on Shark Tank and got a deal... But then once we went through Shark Tank, it was this thing where we had had a product. It was something I created in my kitchen, but we were not a brand. We didn't know who we are. We didn't call ourself a soda at that time. We didn't understand packaging or whatever. So that's kind of where the journey of Poppi really started.”

She shares the strategy behind building Poppi into a standout soda brand instead of just another beverage product.

“Our positioning at Poppi is we give you the freedom to love soda again at its best without all the sugar or the bad ingredients... our purpose and our mission at Poppi is to revolutionize soda for the next generation... You wanna be a brand and not a product. Like, I don't wanna be a drink. I don't wanna be a soda. I wanna be Poppi. I wanna be a brand.”

Allison reflects on why understanding brand identity became one of the biggest drivers behind Poppi’s rapid growth.

“Most people when they're launching a brand kinda skip that part. They're just desperate to get it out into the market, and they don't know who they are, and then it comes across to consumers... We launched March of 2020, right when COVID hit, and we, even though it was COVID, we knew who we are, and we are the fastest-growing beverage in the history of beverage in four years.”

You may also like:

• The Woman Who Shaped How I Show Up as a Founder 
• Scaling a Values-Driven Business to $10M as a First-Time Founder 
• How Dr. Rani Iyer Built Three Purpose-Driven Businesses Around Conscious Living 

Curious about joining the Entreprenista League? Sign up here for a free info session.

Connect with Allison:

• ⁠Allison Ellsworth⁠ on LinkedIn
• ⁠@allisonellsworth⁠ on Instagram
• ⁠@drinkpoppi⁠ on Instagram
• ⁠drinkpoppi.com⁠

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Entreprenista Podcast - the most fun business meeting for women founders and leaders. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the show and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts.

⁠Apple Podcasts⁠ | ⁠TuneIn⁠ | ⁠Spotify⁠ | ⁠Stitcher⁠ | ⁠iHeart Radio⁠ | ⁠GooglePlay⁠

Be sure to share your favorite episodes across social media to help us reach more amazing female founders, like you.

Relay is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided by Thread Bank member, FDIC.

Updated on: May 28, 2025